The survey, which was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), noted kittens and strays in particular were especially susceptible to carrying the harmful bacteria. The report, which was released this month, showed that each year, about 12,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with cat-scratch disease and 500 require hospitalization.

Researchers analyzed national health insurance claims databases from 2005 to 2013 for people 65 and younger.